Things We Didn't Say

by Kristina Riggle

What goes unsaid can sometimes speak the loudest . . .

What makes up a family? For Casey it's sharing a house with her fiancé, Michael, and his three children, whom she intends to nurture more than she ever took care of herself. But Casey's plans have come undone. Michael's silences have grown unfathomable and deep. His daughter Angel seethes as only a teenage girl can, while the wide-eyed youngest, Jewel, quietly takes it all in.

Then Michael's son, Dylan, runs off, and the kids' mother, a woman never afraid to say what she thinks, noisily barges into the home. That's when Casey decides that the silences can no longer continue. She must begin speaking the words no one else can say. She'll have to dig up secrets--including her own--uncovering the hurts, and begin the healing that is long overdue. And it all starts with just a few tentative words. . . .

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Family, Adult, Womens Fiction, Romance, Mystery

341 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 2011

About the author

Kristina Riggle lives in West Michigan, where she writes character-driven novels about complex personal dynamics. Her debut novel, Real Life & Liars, was a Target "Breakout" pick and a "Great Lakes, Great Reads" selection by the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association. Her latest novel, Vivian in Red, is a story of 1930s Broadway and today about a lyricist, the clouded history of his most famous song, and the woman who inspired it.

Kristina has published short stories in the Cimarron Review, Literary Mama, Espresso Fiction, and elsewhere, and is a former co-editor for fiction at Literary Mama. As well as writing, she enjoys reading, yoga, dabbling in (very) amateur musical theatre, and spending lots of time with her husband, two kids and dog.

She appreciates readers who spread the word about her books, through reviews here and around the Web at the various book retail sites!

Reviews

[Alisha Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Things We Didn't Say has to be one of the most infuriating novels I've ever read. I wanted to slam this book against the wall repeatedly. Why? Because the characters themselves are infuriating. Seriously, EVERY SINGLE character in this book was an idiot. Not only that, but there were also so many other infuriating things. I was groaning to myself repeatedly thinking "Bitch!" and "Moron!" and "Asshole!" I wanted to tell all of them to open their eyes, get a life, and stop freakin' complaining. Oh, except for Dylan. The kid that RAN AWAY for no DISCERNBLE reason was more likeable than all of the adults and teens in this book.

Now that I got THAT off my chest, let me say that the main character really isn't that bad. Don't get me wrong, she is an idiot, but she has a pretty good reason to be an idiot. She's in love...with a douche bag...who's daughter and ex-wife are the biggest bitches known to man. In fact, the thing that most annoyed me was how determined Casey was to stick it out. I kept thinking "You are SO much better than this!" Let's start with Casey's fiance. This guy is just an idiot. He just bends to the every whim of his manipulative ex-wife (whom I will get to shortly). Okay, dude, let me show you where your priorities should lie: number 1 goes to your kids. There's no doubt in my mind about that. Number 2 goes to your fiance! You know, the woman who's putting up with all of your crap. You put yourself at number 3, followed by your even more annoying father at number 4. Your ex-wife falls wayyyy down in the totem pole, especially if she's a manipulative drunk who can't be trusted with your children. Common sense.

Now, the 16 year old daughter was no better than the manipulative ex-wife (who's coming up in my little tirade). I understand that she's a teenage girl and that they're bratty. But, seriously, I don't want to read about it. Reading about manipulative teenagers who are bitches for no good reason is not my idea of fun. And the dad just kept on excusing her behavior with the whole "she comes from a broken home" schtick. Dude, there are tons of kids who come from broken homes who are nice a lot of the time. You're doing her absolutely no favors if you start excusing her every whim and letting her get away with her bitchy attitude towards undeserving people i.e. YOUR FIANCE! I wouldn't have called her a bitch in my diary, though. I would've called her one to her face...in front of her father...and his manipulative ex-wife who is now coming up in my tirade.

I HATED the ex-wife...with a burning passion. I hated her so much that I seriously debated in putting down the book, not finishing it, and just writing my LibraryThing review on what I did read. The author said in the back of the ARC that she struggled in writing that character because she didn't want her to come out as a caricature of a villain. I'm sorry to say this, but that's exactly the way she came out. She just didn't come out as believable to me. Maybe that's why I hated her so much...

So, if I have so many complaints about the book, why did I give it two stars? Because it was a page-turner. Seriously, I read it in two hours and a half and didn't move at all. Could I have put it down? I comtemplated it while I was reading about the ex-wife and finishing a book is not a compulsion I have (I don't mind dropping a book 50 pages from the end, if I'm not enjoying it). I just kept reading because I had to figure out how it was going to end. I couldn't figure out an ending that I would have liked to have read. Which is why I have a complaint about the ending...I'm sorry but you can't throw that much melodrama at me (my God was this book just full of melodrama) and then try to wrap it up in a pretty little bow with a happily ever after attached on the greeting card. It's just not going to work for me.

All in all, I didn't really enjoy Things We Didn't Say. However, I'm weird, so I'm glad I disliked it rather than feeling "meh" about it (just because it leaves me with more impassioned reviews). I didn't hate the book, I just hated a lot of the characters. But again, it was an extreme page-turner. Will I read more of Kristina Riggle's (for some reason, I'm loving the last name) work? I actually think I would. The fact that I read this book so fast and was so interested as to the outcome leads me to believe that if she were to write characters I'd actually like, I would enjoy her work. So, we'll see on my next trip to the library I guess...

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dear Future Stepmothers,

It's tough, I know. I bet you've been scouring the internet, posting questions to Yahoo! Answers, and devouring how-to books. Believe me, I get it. I bet you even picked this book up, considered buying it because it deals with a lot of the subject matter you fear may be coming. Do yourself a favor...run! Run from this book like it was O.J. Simpson asking you out after a 10 year prison stint. Don't look back, don't check your emotional barometer to see if you're overreacting and maybe he deserves a little understanding and, for the love of God, don't think he's just misunderstood. RUN!

This book is the epitome of spreading stupid. Not only does it condone poor life choices, but it makes excuses for it and even makes you consider if the sky really is red rather than blue. Essentially, this book is your mother at her absolute worst. And what does a good friend do when you come to them, crying and maybe a little drunk, asking if you really are: too "thick", too skinny, breaking her heart by not giving her a grandchild, a total disappointment since you decided not to marry (insert immature, asinine middle school boyfriend's name here), never grateful for the life she gave to you even though she spent your whole childhood telling you how much you ruined her life? She points out the stupidity....

Ladies, if your lover's baby mama is a pill-popping, whiskey-swigging, bipolar, crazy nightmare...RUN! Do not try to excuse her behavior, do not hold out hope that it will get better and do not suck it up when your lover comforts her and all her psychotic behavior right before he hands you the line, "she's the mother of my children". RUN!

If those beautiful little demon children spend their every waking moment purposely making you miserable, telling you what a huge bitch you are, and trying their very best to tear you and your man apart...RUN! Do not, instead, suck it up in the hopes that it will get better, that all that affection and understanding will eventually wake them up and show them how much you love them, or that they will eventually move out. They are his kids, they're never leaving. Not really. So, do yourself a favor...RUN!

If your lover is always pointing the finger at you whenever something, anything happens...RUN! If your lover talks to you as if you're one of his kids as he completely pushes the responsibility of caring for them on you...RUN! If he doen't pick up for you when his kids are going at you like an alcoholic at an open bar...RUN! If he constantly backs down from his baby mama and puts you in situations where you have to deal with her, but then lets the "chips fall where they may" when she's belittling you, instigating you and just generally doing anything she can to get under your skin...RUN!

If you feel like you need to hide away your past mistakes or traumas because you're afraid of his judgment, his criticizing you or making you feel like your hot mess that needs to be locked up...RUN! If he is constantly comparing you to baby mama...RUN! If his plea to keep you is along the lines of, "But I need you. Baby Mama is taking me back to court and I can't do this without you"...RUN! He is not the man for you. If you cannot be yourself and instead spend your days wondering how you can be "better" for him...RUN!



BUT, if you are a twenty-something girl thinking about seducing the OMGHOT dad you babysit for...you should totally check this out. I think this might be the book for you. ;)

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good read until the ending. Ugh. I hated the ending.

My Rating: 3 stars

Reviewed by: Mrs. N

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holy dysfunctional family, batman! This was an easy read, but difficult in the sense that I could not relate to a single one of the characters -- except maybe the teenage daughter, Angel. I was that teenager once, unhappy with a new, young step-mother whom I didn't see eye to eye with on anything. I was definitely a b*tch at times at that age, just like Angel. But as for the rest, they were all pretty damaged and hard to like. Overall it was an okay read but not my favorite.

[Laurel-Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her novel Things We Didn’t Say, the acclaimed author of Real Life & Liars and The Life You’ve Imagined (an Indie Next Notable Book) explores the messiness of life’s love stories, especially those involving teenage almost-stepchildren, a unreliable ex-wife, and the words no parent ever wants to hear: “Your child is missing.” A poignant, honest, and unforgettable novel that fans of Katrina Kittle and Elin Hildebrand will take into their hearts, Things We Didn’t Say is exactly the sort of well-written, complex relationships story that women love to read, discuss, and share with their friends.

My Thoughts: As our story begins, we meet Casey, who is engaged to and living with Michael, the father of three children. Two of them are teens: Angel and Dylan, and Jewel, the youngest, is sweet enough to make up for the issues with the other two.

Except that Casey has just about had it. Angel is sullen, lashes out, and because she recently read Casey’s journal, she is taunting her.

Just as Casey has packed a bag and is preparing to leave, a phone call from the school reporting that Dylan is missing changes her direction. For a while, anyway.

As the family goes through the drama of figuring out what has happened to Dylan, we are thrust into the melodrama of Mallory, the ex-wife, who hates Casey and has no qualms about expressing those feelings. She and Angel almost seem like twins in their behavior, with matching verbal taunts.

What will happen to each of them in the hours that Dylan is missing? Will the crisis give them an opportunity to reexamine what they thought to be true? Can they learn something important for their lives going forward? Will Casey decide to finally share the secrets of her past?

Michael also struggles with his job as a journalist, and is overwhelmed by his father’s disappointment in his career choice. A heart specialist, Dr. Henry Turner has no problem sharing his opinions. Will something happening at the newspaper take the choice out of Michael’s hands?

Narrated alternately by each of the characters, Things We Didn’t Say shows us in great detail what chaos can ensue when individuals do not say what is really on their minds. Instead, these characters gunny-sacked their issues and showed everyone their rage, their jealousy, and their fear in emotional outbursts, or, in the case of Casey and Michael, through passive-aggressiveness. An extreme incident forced them all to take another look at their behavior.

I enjoyed how the story unfolded, and I always love this writer’s style and how she tackles the issues. I disliked Mallory, Angel, and even Michael some of the time; I felt empathy for Casey, and I rooted for her. Dylan showed a surprising strength at the end, at which point I had started to feel some hope for them all. 4.5 stars.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

26 year old Casey comes with a past that her 36 year old fiance, Michael, knows nothing about. She recently moved in with him and his three children, and now they’re falling apart at the seams. His teenage daughter, Angel, appears to loathe Casey, and eight year old Jewel watches as the silence and tension in the house deepens every day.

Then, Michael’s 14 year old son, Dylan, runs away, and things come to a head. Michael’s very mentally ill and former alcoholic ex-wife, Mallory, rushes to the home in hysteria over her missing son, and fights and manipulates Casey while they frantically try to locate Dylan. In the midst of this family crisis, Casey also faces an internal crisis, as her past threatens to be exposed after Angel reads her diary and spills the information to Mallory. All the while, she wonders whether she should stay or go, and whether she should say the things she’s been afraid of saying for far too long.

Sometimes it’s hard to find the right words to describe a book you loved. I loved this book and I will do my best to share why.

Things We Didn’t Say is an incredible novel full of dark secrets, hidden pasts, and a helluva lot of family drama. Dysfunctional characters are almost always my favorite, and this was chock full of them. I flew through this book in a couple of days, and was sad when I had to turn the last page.

Riggle has true talent for capturing emotions and accurately portraying them through a variety of voices. The chapters alternate narration between all of the major players, and we get to hear from about six different characters. All of their voices are distinctly different and frighteningly realistic, from an 8 year old girl, to a 36 year old man. Riggle’s voice is flawless, and all of these characters shine through in their own unique ways. Not a one of these characters had weak or unrealistic writing in their respective chapters.

So, the writing obviously blew me away and drew me in to all of the character’s lives. But more importantly, the story line was so compelling and dramatic. These people’s lives are like train wrecks and you just can’t look away. So flawed, they all are, and painfully real.

Mallory was fascinating in that she was so mentally ill and manipulative in nearly everything she did. She basically gave up her children to alcoholism, and is completely irrational and hysterical nearly all of the time.

I really liked Casey, flaws and all. Her chapters were amongst my favorites. She is full of secrets and shame, both of which she needs to overcome in order to move on with her life and live peacefully in the present. God, how my heart broke for her, so many times. She was the runt of so much blame and guilt, even from Michael at times, despite her best efforts and good heart.

The three children were great. Dylan was quiet, sweet, and introverted, Jewel, bubbly and full of life. Angel was emotional and snotty in her teenage ways, and was the only one of the children who didn’t like Casey.

Anyways, I could go on, but all you need to know is that I loved this book and all the drama that came with it. It sucked me right in and I will definitely re-read this again in the future to absorb all of the details and revisit the characters.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things We Didn't Say is a novel by Kristina Riggle about a modern-day blended family of Michael, his girlfriend, Casey, Michael's 3 kids from a previous marriage, and his psycho drunken/pill feen ex-wife. I forgot her name so I'm not even going to put the effort into going and getting the book off my nightstand, because she's not worth it. The novel opens with Casey getting ready to say peace out to Michael and all of his baggage and the stress, until the ever-so-ironically-placed phone call from Dylan, Casey's step-son's school, comes in, saying he didn't arrive to school. Casey then finds herself in a precarious situation of coming to grips with her past life, her current problems with Michael/the stepkids, her issue with Michael's 16 year old daughter who seems to hate and resent her, as well as Michael's lunatic ex-wife, who decides to stay with them while they are searching for Dylan.

I liked this book and the different POV that were presented. The main thing I didn't like was the character of the ex-wife should never have been given a second chance by Michael. She didn't even deserve to be treated with respect or trust, because she lost it. Casey, Michael's girlfriend, was very relatable and I found myself being sympathetic for the situation she was thrown into and the responsibilities she had accepted (whether she anticipated it or not) when she entered into a relationship with Michael. I felt like I could relate to her feelings, even though I'm a single 21 year old girl.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

read this last night in one sitting, i enjoyed it and it was a quick read. lots of short chapters with alternating narrators but a lot like a tv movie!! still say goodreads needs to improve its rating system. i need one set of stars for "enjoyed reading it" and one for "quality of writing".

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://iwriteinbooks.wordpress.com/20...

Step parenting isn’t easy under the most congenial terms, Casey knows that. The problem is, things are rarely congenial. As she grows in her relationship with her fiancé and his three children, Casey is thrown into a whirlwind of emotion involving teenagers and a very “dynamic” ex-wife.

In the middle of making sense of chaos and sorting out her own jumbled past, Casey is thrown another curve ball in the form of her fiancé’s second child and only son turning up missing. As if her husband’s rather unstable ex needs any more fuel on her fire, the events of the disappearance, send her into a total tailspin, turning the entire household upside down.

Through this hyper-paced family drama, Casey struggles with her emotions regarding her family of origin and her impending place in this new, volatile family. As the storm rages around her, she works to define what “family” means in the best of times, the worst of times and everywhere in between.

Though I am a child of divorce, I can hardly say that my parents’ split was novel-worthy. I have been around the block, enough, however, to know that this story is far from unrealistic. Riggle does an excellent job of telling the story through revolving eyes as each family member passes the torch, eventually painting an evolving, three dimensional view of the situation.

I found each person to be relatable, though sometimes, their flaws were a bit exasperating. Mallory, the ex-wife at the center of it all, is a bit hard to handle in her narcissism and irrationality. Although, I don’t think that my annoyance was always with her but with the family members, and even Casey, who allowed and enabled her totally outlandish behavior. Again, though, the problem lies in not “what do we wish people would do in a perfect situation” but “how do people act in fear, loneliness and love” even though they can see the mistakes as they are making them.

Things We Didn’t Say is a beautiful but tough story, especially as a parent and partner. I highly recommend it to those who like a fast-paced yet deep journey through family struggles, though, again, it’s not really for the faint of heart

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some people lead lives full of problems. In Things We Didn’t Say by Kristina Riggle, 26-year-old Casey has a mess of them. She’s engaged to Michael, a man 10-years her senior, who has three children with an ex-wife who is a non-recovering alcoholic with multiple mental disorders. Casey’s secrets come back to haunt her when Michael’s middle child, Dylan, disappears after being dropped off at school one day and his oldest child, Angel, finds Casey’s journal and reads it.

It’s infrequent that there are no sympathetic characters in a novel, but I feel like Ms. Riggle may have wanted it this way. The novel is often gritty and you can truly relate to Casey’s need to get away from the overbearing Michael who has not an ounce of empathy in his self-absorbed body. While Casey is the youngest adult in the novel, she’s often the most accepting and tolerant and I found myself wanting to leave this novel to get away from her situation. While they search for Dylan, Casey is forced to deal with Michael’s ex-wife, who is vilified in her need for her children and her oppositional use of them to get Michael back into her life. Casey, herself, seems at odds with her care for the children and her wanting of them to get away from her so she could have Michael to herself and this novel takes the wicked mother/exhausted-wicked stepmother idea to the edge of what it can possibly be without leaving reality.

Overall, this is not your beach read and it can be mentally exhausting at times. However, for those that are looking for a realistic portrayal of a difficult situation made more difficult by a crisis, this is going to hit all of the emotional buttons. My only catch was that the ending felt inauthentic to me, but the character wasn’t mine to choose her path.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free in order to review it! Thanks for letting me share my thoughts.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things We Didn't Say is by far my favorite Riggle novel. The story is told from different POV's and definitely works in portraying a messy family situation. There is a totally screwed up and pathetic ex wife, a husband who doesn't know which end is up in trying to keep his family stable, a younger woman trying to deal with a family she loves, and of course the kids who are caught in the middle. I thought this book was well-written as I was drawn into the lives of all the characters.

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things We Didn't Say was a wonderful tale of how silence also has an impact on people's lives. And fear a big motivator - fear of disappointment, fear of loss, fear of nonacceptance, fear of love. These fears, real or imagined, lead us to the choices we make. Kristina Riggle develops these characters so well, the reader gets emotionally involved ( like wanting to throttle the ex!).

This was a well written story and would like to see a sequel. I give it 4.5 stars.

[Brandy King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my usual style, but I can't remember the last time I yelled at a book. Read it in 4 hours because I couldn't believe how the characters treated each other. Excellent example of a dysfunctional family needing therapy.

[Linda Timm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of two adults trying to make a family together. Casey 's past was not good, but she falls n love with Michael who is trying to rise a family of three without the help , or better said the interference from his ex alcoholic, mentally unstable wife. Casey plans to leave them all due to the difficulty of family life passing upon her and the romantic love she and Michael dream of having. Casey wants to have a baby of her own. One of the kids runs away with a girl he met on the internet. He hates his new school and just wants to get away from all the stress. Casey stays during the hectic mess finding him and getting him home safely. The ex is involved in the search and tries to sabotage Casey by getting her drunk. She desperately wants both Michael and her kids back. In the end Casey moves out but still dates Michael. On her birthday he gives her the ring that she had returned to him when she left. The ending leaves you optimistic that in time things will work out despite the problems of family life.

[Myra Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Want a deeper understanding of the crazy people in you life?

WOW!!! This is going to be difficult... this book is easy to read yet can keep you awake at night comparing characters motivations with people in your own life! It could have been a short story with an all to familiar theme, but each chapter goes back and forth telling the narrative from the point of view of all of the main characters... even the antagonist. You will find yourself being empathetic to characters you would not normally side with! It is not predictable as such but begins to take on the mass of a run away train. You can see the crash coming (as can some of the characters) but you can do nothing to stop it no mater how you sit in the edge of your seat and plead... the children (really young adults) intrigue me and I wish the story had give more time to get to know them better but it was enough to move the story. A quick read that will stay with you!

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel of life on the US home front during World War II is fascinating. It is told entirely through letters, newspaper accounts and other documents to shed light on our prejudices and the way our fear can prompt hatred. It takes a deep look at patriotism, prejudice, unwavering faith, duty and love. Though many of the pen pals in this book are fictional it is based heavily on the real experiences of POW camps in the Midwest during World War II. The public outcry when a camp was announced, strict guidelines against Americans fraternizing with enemy Germans and occasional escape attempts all have counterparts in this little known aspect of home-front history. As Johanna, the main character in the book, interacts with the prisoners and censors their letters home, she begins to see them in a more sympathetic light, but advocating for better treatment makes her enemies in the community.

[Karri-ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those books where you want to find out what happens and you can't stop reading the book, but the characters drive you crazy! Their actions and thought processes are immature, they have no insight and their reactions to situations are extremely frustrating. I suppose these qualities do make them seem human and somewhat relatable. So maybe that is why I was able to read the book in its entirety.

Also, I felt like the main character was Casey and this was her story. So I felt that she should have been the only one who was referenced to in the first person. I didn't mind that the chapters changed to the perspective of different characters. But at times I found myself lost in which "I" the chapter was speaking from.

I felt enough sympathy and curiosity around the plot that I was able to finish this book. But this wasn't one of those life altering, revolutionary kind of books for me.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot of life lessons for members of a family about so many topics: cyber safety, teenage hormones and dreams, plans for life that go astray, problems with alcohol, trust, control, mental illness and how to cope when everything looks horrible. I liked the fact that Casey and Michael and Angel and others got their own chapters to give the reader insight into what was going on in their thoughts and actions. So many times we ignore or don't pay enough attention to those we love, friends or family, or just those everyday moments that may be fleeting but important. This book made me take a second look at my own thoughts, actions and plans; realizing that we spend the most time on what we most value.

[Mary Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It is not my typical genre but after reading it I realized how important it is to talk to each other and not hold things in. Keeping a journal is great, I have one but in Casey’s case, Angel reading it, Angel took it out of context! It was wrong for Angel to read it because to me, a journal is a place to get our frustrations, sometimes say thing you only mean in the moment not consistently! It was a good read! I’m really enjoyed the ending! I wish Micheal and Casey all the best!!!

[Lucy McLaurin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw this on Amazon as a book recommended as similar to a previous book ordered.

I actually quite enjoyed it. The characters were well rounded with flaws and all, and quite likeable and believable. It was quite a refreshing read in that it explored a family's life in today's society - a blended family with all the problems that could come with those circumstances.

A good, enlightening read that I enjoyed.

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mostly just read this book to get it finished, to see what would happens next. The characters were such caricatures, their behavior was all very exaggerated and over the top. I would almost say it was like a Hallmark channel movie, but probably even a little too much for that. Also, it wrapped up too prettily, although at least the end wasn't as depressing and frustrating as most of the rest. Not really recommended.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. The book was okay, although I didn’t care for any of the main characters. Couldn’t warm up to them. The drama was over-the-top, especially with ex-wife Mallory. Didn’t care for Michael who seemed like a self-centered brat, Casey seemed weak and kept secrets that didn’t need to be kept. Dylan seemed to be the only realistic character. The highlight of the book was the satisfying ending. I did not want those people to continue as-is.

[Debi Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read. I highly recommend it!

I found this novel o reflect real life families. No one seems to talk to each other anymore. I mean meaningful discussions that allow openness & honesty & trust. This book walks through a very stressful 48 hours that propels this family to either unite or implode. It held my attention & brought insight to so many situations in my own life.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dysfunctional with a Capital D

This book was an easy read but unfortunately I could relate to the step mom character. However, it isn't this bad being a step mom unless you have a mentally ill addicted ex wife to deal with.

This book does ring true in one sense; don't hide things from your loved ones. The truth will get out - it always does.

[Teresa Byrd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love to read books by authors from my state of Michigan and even more so if they base the book in Michigan. This book is about a family that could be living next door. The emotions and challenges that could be in any family in our neighborhood. Some that we don't like to talk about.
I read this book in just a handful of sittings (due to work) and couldn't wait to see what happened next.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay

I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. I didn't think the characters were well developed. What was behind Casey running off? Where did Michael's great parenting come from? A lot of unanswered questions.

[Tara Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cringed most of the time. The dad pissed me off all the time. Get some balls and open your damn eyes. What kind of man let's his ex-wife sleep in his bed with him with his fiance in the same house? Casey should have left him a long time ago.

[Chrecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the writing style and format of this book. While it was not the most interesting or intriguing story, I felt that it reflected the many nuances of family life, especially issues that involve blended families.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t believe I let this sit on my TBR for so long. I just had to get over the small hop in the beginning to the drama and then I was hooked. Definitely recommend this for a warm fuzzy feeling in your chest.

[Kacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written...good story.